Skaftafell National Park

Established in 1967, Skaftafell National Park became a part of the enormous Vatnajokull National Park in 2008, but the area, which sprawls across the southern tip of the vast Vatnajokull glacier, still remains one of the most popular corners of the park. Skaftafell is dominated by the Skaftafellsjökull glacier, one of the most accessible parts of Vatnajokull and offers 5,000 square-kilometers of rugged mountainous terrain and icy glacial tongues.

With no roads traversing the region, hiking, glacier hiking and ice climbing are the main ways to get around in Skaftafell and a vast network of trails are mapped out by the Skaftafell Visitor Center, which now acts as an information center and exhibition space for the entire Vatnajokull National Park. Dotted with active volcanoes, fast-flowing glacial rivers and lava-sculpted peaks, Skaftafell’s highlights include the dramatic Svartifoss waterfall (Black Fall), tumbling 20 meters over a cliff of black basalt, the scenic Morsárdalur valley and the looming ice caps of nearby Öræfajökull, Iceland’s highest peak.